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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27322357">Nothing Special, Just Everything</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/oneoneandone/pseuds/oneoneandone'>oneoneandone</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Women's Soccer RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 22:00:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,385</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27322357</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/oneoneandone/pseuds/oneoneandone</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The first date's the hardest.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kelley O'Hara/Hope Solo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Nothing Special, Just Everything</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>
  <b>Prompt</b>
  <br/>
  <i>Hope and Kelley first date</i>
</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It’s silly. </p><p>Stupid even.</p><p>They’ve seen each other naked, for fuck’s sake. </p><p>They’ve slept on each other during long flights and never-ending bus rides. And Kelley is the only one who knows that sometimes, when she’s really tired, or fighting off a cold, Hope drools in her sleep. </p><p>Personally, she finds it adorable. </p><p>Hope, though, threatens her with those dark and stormy eyes every time she wakes up, wiping away the moisture from the corner of her mouth as she fixes her glare at Kelley. The goalkeeper doesn’t even need to use words. </p><p>Her eyes are loud enough.</p><p>After tonight, though, Kelley’s not sure she’ll ever be intimidated by Hope Solo again. </p><p>The woman who stumbled over her words when Kelley appeared at the door, pulling it open to welcome Hope into her home while she found her other heel. </p><p>The woman who placed a nervous hand at her back as they walked out the door and toward Hope’s car–not the truck, not tonight. Her other car–sleeker, faster, the kind of black that screams danger and sends a jolt of electricity tingling down Kelley’s spine. </p><p>This Hope is sweetly nervous–opening the car door for the younger woman and dropping her keys when Kelley thanks her with a gentle caress down her bare arm. </p><p>This Hope bites the corner of her lip as she drives them to the restaurant–a recommendation from Christie, Kelley will find out later–and when she puts the car in park, her hands shake the slightest as she puts them in her lap and takes a deep, trembling breath.</p><p>“Hey,” Kelley says, turning toward her in concern, “Hope, you okay?” </p><p>But already, she knows the answer is no. </p><p>Hope’s breathing is labored, and when she looks over to meet Kelley’s gaze, those sweet blue eyes are wide and terrified. </p><p>“Hope,” the younger woman whispers, “what’s going on? What can I do?”</p><p>Her voice is soft, each word measured. Like a heartbeat. Steady. </p><p>And it seems to help.  A little bit of the panic in Hope’s eyes fades away, and she reaches over to grasp tight at Kelley’s hand. </p><p>Slowly, together, they sit and wait in the parking lot while Hope’s heart-rate returns to normal and her breathing evens out. </p><p>Eventually, Kelley speaks again. </p><p>“Hope,” she starts, her voice tentative and understanding, “are you okay?”</p><p>But Hope just shakes her head, like she has no idea what just happened to her.</p><p>“Honey, that was a panic attack,” Kelley continues, speaking from experience, “have you ever had one before?” </p><p>The older woman looks over at her, an almost guilty expression on her face. Like she’s certain that the evening has been ruined. </p><p>“No,” Hope answers, “never.” </p><p>Their hands are still linked, Hope’s long, strong fingers, her powerful grip somehow gentle even as she clenches Kelley’s palm tight under her own.</p><p>“You worried about something, keep?” Kelley asks, and hopes that the nickname will help to ground the other woman a little bit more.</p><p>The goalkeeper looks at her this time. Even manages a short, sharp laugh. </p><p>“Nervous,” Hope starts to say, ready to brush off Kelley’s concern. To pretend like nothing is wrong. </p><p>But then she sees the concern in the younger woman’s intense green eyes, sees the slightest of frowns as Kelley worries her lower lip between her teeth. </p><p>The change, when it happens a second later, is immediate. </p><p>A resigned sigh. </p><p>And Hope’s whole body seems to relax, seems to deflate just a bit as she exhales. </p><p>“What’s on your mind, Hope,” Kelley asks gently. </p><p>“It’s nothing,” the goalkeeper begins, but then corrects herself. “No, not nothing. It’s not nothing. That makes it sound like it’s not important. And it’s so important.”</p><p>Hope looks up at Kelley again, forcing herself to look at the other woman’s kind, beautiful face. Those adorable freckles. The slightest of lines that curve around the corners of Kelley’s infectious grin. </p><p>“I’m scared,” she confesses, and when the younger woman starts to speak, opens her mouth to interrupt, Hope shakes her head. Doesn’t let Kelley soothe away the moment. </p><p>She needs to say this. She needs to speak the words aloud and hear them in the air between their bodies. </p><p>“This changes everything, Kelley,” Hope whispers. “You and I, after tonight it will never be the same. Whether it’s the worst first date you’ve ever been on, or the best, you and I will never be the same. And I heard my voice saying it in my head, you know? That once we step out of this car and into that restaurant, it’s real. It’s not just something I’ve been dreaming of doing for years now, or some fantasy cooked up by our idiot teammates. It’s real. We can’t go back.”</p><p>“Hope,” Kelley says, and lifts her free hand up to caress the other woman’s cheek, biting back a sigh of her own as Hope nuzzles into it, as her whole body shifts almost imperceptibly toward the passenger side. “Hope, this doesn’t have to change everything. Not if we don’t want it to. We can just go in there as teammates and eat dinner as teammates and you can drop me back off at my house after. Just like teammates. If you’re not ready for things to change, if you don’t want things to change–they don’t have to.”</p><p>“But what if I do?” the older woman asks. “What if I want everything to change. But I’m scared. But I’m afraid that I’ll fuck it all up, just like everything else I’ve ever had that was good. Because what do we do then? How do I go back to seeing you every day at camp and on the field and not hate myself for hurting you? How do I get over you?”</p><p>Hope’s voice cracks and she starts to hyperventilate again. And if it weren’t so concerning, it would be almost adorable, just how clear Kelley’s importance to the older woman is becoming. </p><p>“Hey,” Kelley says, “Hope. Look at me.”</p><p>And she waits until she can see the storm clouds swirling in Hope’s blue, blue irises.</p><p>“It’s okay. It’s going to be okay,” Kelley tells the other woman in a sturdy, steady voice. The rock in Hope’s storm. “You’re not going to hurt me. You couldn’t. I know you too well. I care too much about you, okay, keep?” </p><p>The younger woman smiles over at Hope, waiting until she gets the smile that is her favorite in return. Soft and sweet, shy. Hope biting the inside of her cheek as the corners of her mouth lift, curve. </p><p>“It’s going to be okay, Hope. I promise. No matter what happens tonight. Or tomorrow, or the day after that. It’s going to be okay.”</p><p>And for the first time tonight, for the first time, perhaps, in the entire length of their relationship, the older woman looks over at Kelley with an expression  of hope in her eyes.</p><p>Hope and trust and faith. </p><p>The crisis, it seems, has been averted. </p><p>“Hey,” Kelley whispers in the quiet of the car, “you know, we don’t have to do this tonight. Not like this. We can just grab some takeout and drive back to my place. Have a <em>Gilmore Girls</em> marathon in our pajamas ….”</p><p>It sounds like heaven.</p><p>Still.</p><p>This was a date. </p><p>“How is that different than any other time I come over to your place?” Hope asks with a soft smile, some of her self returning in the quiet moment.</p><p>But Kelley just smiles and leans forward, until her breath brushes against the fine, fine hairs of Hope’s cheek. </p><p>“Because,” she says in a voice that makes the goalkeeper’s blood run hot, that brings a pleasant glow to Hope’s face, “tonight, when the marathon is over and I’m walking you down the hall to the guestroom, I’m going to kiss you. Long. And hard. Exactly the way I’ve been wanting to do for years now.”</p><p>And at the shocked look on Hope’s face, Kelley laughs.</p><p>“What, like you’re the only one who’s been wanting this, who’s ready for more.”</p><p>Hope’s silent for a moment, and Kelley waits patiently. Until, with a wide smile, Hope nods her head. </p><p>“Sounds like a date to me,” she says. </p><p>And Kelley squeezes their joined hands. </p><p>“Good,” she agrees. “Take us home, Hope.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>"Farther Along and Further In," Mary Chapin Carpenter</p></blockquote></div></div>
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